I'm not sure why this book doesn't have more reviews. Achievement Addiction DETOX by Elena Rand, JD, MSW is an excellent example of the perils that befall high achieving people who tend to measure their self-worth by what they do, rather than who they are.

As a lawyer, therapist, executive coach, wife, and mother, Elena Rand knows of what she speaks. It is through her own experiences with the desire to achieve at all cost, what she labels as Achievement Addiction, that she experienced anxiety, feelings of failure, and a lack of connection to family. As an executive coach working with some of New York's top executives, she encountered many who, like her suffered from burnout, exhaustion, undiagnosed or undertreated mental health conditions. Through her own examples and the examples of others, you'll find that the root of hyper-achievement often lies in unexplored trauma and compensation for perceived failings of meeting the expectations of others.

After much example, from many of which, I could see myself, Elena Rand present a clear (but not necessarily easy) plan to overcome achievement addiction. This isn't some overnight fix, but a series of small, incremental changes to be made over time. Expect to put in the work.

While the book may seem as though it is only for those in the upper echelons of the business world, the need to achieve to the exclusion of all else has no borders. As human beings, we all share similar psychological needs and behaviors. I recommend this book for anyone who is or knows someone who is addicted to their work, who sees themselves only through their successes, for whom the idea of failure (real or perceived) is crippling, and, paradoxically, those who are stuck in jobs that are not longer fulfilling but feel that they can't leave.